Love Lasts Forever  A Quiet Moment
by penni31
Summary: Extra bit for Love Lasts Forever - Mick brings Beth home after the attempt is made on her life. They share a quiet moment together before Josh rushes in to the apartment and brings it to an end.


**Love Lasts Forever -** **A Quiet Moment **

I found this little snippet in my notes and thought I would post it.

Episode: Love Lasts Forever - mainly Beth's thoughts when Mick brings her home after the attempt made on her life. I love this scene where Beth is tending to her arm and Mick, ever her protector, is standing as close to her as he can get without actually making contact. This fic is a quiet moment they share before Josh comes rushing in.

If only they knew what was going to happen next...

Enjoy penni :)

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><p>"Mick please stop fussing, it's not that bad."<p>

Mick has his arm around her shoulders, trying to provide some cover and open the door to her apartment at the same time.

"You need to get that cleaned up, where do you keep the antiseptic?"

"In the bathroom with the cotton wool."

"Okay, I'll get them. Can you get a bowl of water?"

She finds a bowl in the kitchen cabinet and fills it with water.

Mick comes back and carefully helps her out of her jacket, taking great care not scrape the material across the wound as he pulls her damaged arm out of the sleeve of her jacket. Her shirt is ruined and she takes it off without worrying that he is standing there watching. He has seen her in less. She goes to her dresser drawer and pulls out a plain white t-shirt and a lightweight sweater.

She is pulling the t-shirt over her head as she walks back into the room watching him standing at the kitchen counter getting everything ready. His fussing irritates and warms her in equal measure. Yet again, she thinks that if he hadn't been there she would have been killed. Her vampire, she knew very well now that he _was_ her vampire, had saved her once again.

Her mind goes back to his arrival at her door that morning, his face as she opened the door in the oversized grey T-shirt that obviously was not hers. She watched opened mouthed as his eyes ran down her body and up again at what she was wearing, his eyes darkening as if he liked what he saw.

She had been surprised to see him despite having made plans the night before to meet up with him. She usually never missed any opportunity to spend time with him. He must have wondered if something had happened and come by to check on her.

The spell was broken and the expression on his face became more guarded when he heard her overnight guest on the phone and looked over to see Josh pacing up and down in the living room dressed only in his suit pants.

Mick knew exactly what had happened. What he didn't know was that it was a mistake, a mistake that she wanted desperately to explain to him. Could she make him understand?

She feels the pain of realising that she could have been separated from him forever just a short while ago. The pain is deep, just like it was the day that she thought he had died a fiery death in the middle of the desert. She wonders if that is how he feels too.

How can they keep doing this, pretending that they don't mean _everything_ to each other? What had gone unsaid and unexplored in New York chasing after Josef was now undeniable. Now there was nowhere to hide.

Mick knows she is there and turns, his hand out-stretched towards her. "Come here."

She goes willingly, submitting to his need to take care of her even though she isn't badly injured.

"Beth…" Her heart breaks a little when he pulls her closer and looks down into her face, his eyes boring into hers, both saying _I nearly lost you _without words_. _

It is too much to take. She puts her arms around him and holds him close, closing her eyes as his arms encircle her body pulling her into him. It is a lover's embrace. Any problems hanging over them seem suddenly unimportant.

She thinks she wants to try and explain the unexplainable.

"I'm sorry." It is a whisper. It is all she can think of to say hoping that he will somehow know what she is apologising for.

_Please forgive me_.

"It's okay." He manages in reply, still holding her. His voice is deep and rough and she knows that she has hurt him. He's trying hard to hide how he is feeling but she knows him well enough by now that she can tell. He was just starting to show her how he felt about her and now they would go back to whatever…she wasn't sure what.

"No, it's not. He was upset and things got out of hand and I…" She closed her eyes at her stupidity. He knew that she had had sex with Josh last night. He didn't need to hear the details.

"I haven't been there for him." She tried again. If she was totally honest with herself she hadn't been for a while. Last night he needed her and she had given in to that need. Perhaps she had needed someone to love her too; even if it wasn't the one she wanted.

"Let me just get him through this case and then …" She pressed on needing to to tell him, to get it all out.

Mick pulled her back, his hands gently cupping her face. "Don't. " He pleads hoarsely understanding what she is trying to say. They have both been through a tremendous amount of emotional turmoil in the last couple of weeks and it had to take a toll somewhere along the line. "You're okay and that is all that matters."

They stand there holding on to each other like they never wanted to let go. She desperately wants to kiss him but holds back, scared that she will make it harder for them both. Instead she nuzzles her face in his neck, feels him tense up and his arms hold her tighter. The physical contact is almost too much but neither of them is ready to back off yet. They need it. If only to re-affirm to each other that they will somehow find some common ground and go on from there.

Mick finally breaks the contact, puts his forehead to hers looking deep into her eyes. Her tears fall and she wipes them away quickly. He is telling her something that he can't voice, not yet. There is so much to say but neither of them are ready. There are things that need to be done before they can get back on the path that they started down on that night at the fountain. The night they found each other.

They pull apart reluctantly but he stays close, really close.

"You better take care of that arm." His usual little half smile graces his beautiful face.

She smiles at him and picks up some cotton wool and dabs her wound with the cool water, hissing a little as the antiseptic stings.

Mick can hear the commotion in the hall.

Beth startles a little as the door is violently flung open.

Their moment had passed.

Josh was back.

The End


End file.
